Plot Traps Volume 9

I’m changing some things up with the blog and looking at a variety of new and old ideas in gaming.  I’d like to spend part of today talking about some recurring tropes and ideas that crop up in fantasy storytelling and how they can be used (and abused) in an RPG to some sort of effect.  Today’s volume is going to feature The Patron phenomenon.  There are a variety of ways this idea can be used to great effect in a fantasy rpg.  Let’s take a look at how that can work.  Further, we’re going to spend the next few weeks examining other supporting elements that characters rely on in a typical role-playing game.  As always, we hope these help you out with setting up your own adventures, campaigns and stories.

A Brief Look at Tales from the Loop

Hey Game Fans, we’re working on new focuses and ideas for our article series, and were going to broaden our horizons and show off some other role-playing games.  I picked up a bunch of these last weekend, and we’re going to get started with Tales from the Loop.  With a tagline of “Roleplaying in the 80’s that never was,” this game combines a very odd juxtaposition of the fantastic and the mundane and turns both ideas on their heads.  Characters in this game are children living in the 80s under the shadow of The Loop, a project designed to explore strange energies and they experience fantastical things that no one else understands.  The story explores the very real struggles that children deal with and the adventures they go through while experiencing their mundane lives.  Other folks have compared it to ET, The Goonies, Stranger Things, and other stories like this.  I would also compare it to the struggles the children have with Pennywise the clown in the first half of IT, from Stephen King, or the kids from the film Super 8.  It’s a very novel concept for a storytelling device and the game looks absurdly fun.   

Warhammer 40,000 (8th Edition)

So, we’ve been kicking the idea of covering a little bit of Warhammer 40,000’s new edition since we heard about it the first time.  There are tons of people covering a lot of aspects of the game, filming battle reports and taking time to show off the game.  We honestly thought what could we add to that discussion?  We haven’t even gotten a game in of the new edition!  Then we started telling stories of past games and other terrible days that happened in Warhammer, and we decided to take a look at what this new edition of Warhammer looks like to us, and what it adds to our experiences.  We might get around to battle reports and list building ideas at some point (and probably pictures of our armies once they’re completely painted), but today we’re going to give an of what we’ve seen and what we like so far.  

Backgrounds Part VI (Outlander and Sage)

Hey Game Fans, we’re back with the third part of our series on Backgrounds for Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition.  Today we’re going to take a hard look at the Outlander and the Sage Backgrounds and how they affect your character’s background and possible development as you level up.  First up, we have the Outlander, and then we’ll conclude with the Sage.  

Death From Above (Looking into the bright Future)

So we’re coming close to the conclusion of Death From Above’s second season.  The civil war on Zathras is lurching towards its violent conclusion. Will the Imperial family pull together to protect their planet, or does it all come tumbling down in a wave of violence?  The Season Finale is August 11th, so if you’ve fallen behind, don’t worry, check the youtube archives and catch up.  We do know a few things about the insanity that is going into Season 3 (Yes, there is a season 3).  

Plot Traps Volume 8

I’m changing some things up with the blog and looking at a variety of new and old ideas in gaming.  I’d like to spend part of today talking about some recurring tropes and ideas that crop up in fantasy storytelling and how they can be used (and abused) in an RPG to some sort of effect.  Today’s volume is going to feature The Home Base phenomenon.  There are a variety of ways this idea can be used to great effect in a fantasy rpg.  Let’s take a look at how that can work.  Further, we’re going to spend the next few weeks examining other supporting elements that characters rely on in a typical role-playing game.  As always, we hope these help you out with setting up your own adventures, campaigns and stories.

Changes and Renewal

First off, Don't panic, I'm not shutting down the blog or doing anything rash, but I do think it's time to make a few changes about the content I create.  I have been focused with almost laser like precision on Dungeons and Dragons, Battletech and Star Wars since January.  To be perfectly honest, I'm feeling a little bit of the grass is greener on the other side issue.  There are so many cool games and neat ideas to explore, I feel a little blegh towards my content focuses.  I know, it's a bad time for this, since Catalyst just released their 2nd Succession War book for Battletech, and Dungeons and Dragons is about to pop off with their amazingly cool Stream of Annihilation product line.

However, there are a lot of cool products and some truly neat games that are sneaking around the gaming landscape that I really want to take a look at.  So, we're going to be changing up what we cover and the articles we write.  Our continued insanity to produce 5 articles a week continues, and what we're looking at doing looks something like this. 

Monday:  Advice and Editorials (we are having a lot of fun writing RPG advice articles and hopefully helping you guys get into the game.  For now, we're going to continue with the Plot Traps (System agnostic, and you can use these for any game you like), but expect a few random zingers thrown in for maximum effect)

Tuesday:  Dungeons and Dragons (something related to the game, for now it will be a continuation of our feature of the Backgrounds, after we finish the Player's Handbook backgrounds, we're going to likely start Season 4 of Adventurer's League)

Wednesday:  RPG Roundup  (We're going to be taking a look at a LOT of role-playing games from a lot of publishers, but we're probably going to start with FATE, Fantasy AGE, Tales from the Loop, and Mutants and Masterminds).  We'll do some brief looks and see if we can't shine some lights on some neat games in the market.)

Thursday: Miniature Mayhem (We've spent the last fifteen or so years playing a couple of different Miniatures Games, and oh the stories.  We're going to show off a couple of different miniatures games, (Including Alpha Strike) but we've caught 8th edition Warhammer 40,000 fever, and we definitely need more cowbell.)

Friday:  Something, Something, Something (Mystery Box Friday lives, and anything we can't find a spot for will probably drop on Fridays.)

We're going to try and keep up our release schedule, and we are going to continue our Lakeport project for the Campaign setting we've been writing.  Keep an eye out for shiny new exciting things.  We're not abandoning any of our games, but we're broadening our horizons a little to show off more of the game community.  Keep your eyes peeled for updates and mischief.  Game On, Game Fans. 

D & D Beyond (My Thoughts)

So Game Fans, we’re staring down the barrel of the release of the digital tools package for dungeons and dragons 5th edition.  D & D Beyond is set for an August release and now we know what the shape of things look like, and what you can do with the tools.  We’re going to do a much more extensive write up of the tools a little closer to release, but we should talk about the price structure and the features that are included at launch, and a look at what may happen.  Let’s dig a little deeper and see what treasure we can find in the system.  

Backgrounds Part V (Hermit and Noble)

Hey Game Fans, we’re back with the third part of our series on Backgrounds for Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition.  Today we’re going to take a hard look at the Folk Hero and the Guild Artisan Backgrounds and how they affect your character’s background and possible development as you level up.  First up, we have the Hermit, and then we’ll conclude with the Noble.  

A Brief Look at Exalted

Hey Game Fans, we’re working on several things for the Mystery Box Friday series, but today we’re going to give you a very quick overview of Exalted, a Roleplaying game from Onyx Path Publishing.  Currently in its third edition (funded by a wildly successful kickstarter), Exalted is an age of Myth and Legend, where powerful heroes and demigods can reshape the world with enough belief and through the force of their own wills.  Characters can come from a variety of backgrounds and sources of power, but this is definitely a mythic age of high adventure and epic fantasy.  

Plot Traps Volume 7

I’m changing some things up with the blog and looking at a variety of new and old ideas in gaming.  I’d like to spend part of today talking about some recurring tropes and ideas that crop up in fantasy storytelling and how they can be used (and abused) in an RPG to some sort of effect.  Today’s volume is going to feature The Vendetta phenomenon.  There are a variety of ways this idea can be used to great effect in a fantasy rpg.  Let’s take a look at how that can work.

Actions for Edge of the Empire

Hey Game Fans, we’re going to be taking a closer look at Actions for Edge of the Empire.  These are complex things that require the character’s focus and attention.  There are a few of these and we’re going to try and break them down.  Remember that there is generally a limit of a character accomplishing one action on its turn. Also, keep in mind that a character can perform a reasonable number of incidental actions, typically one maneuver and one action in any given turn.Let’s take a deeper dive into Actions and how they work for Edge. If you’re curious about the first part of this discussion, check out our write-up of structured gameplay here.  

Deities, Divinities and Truly Scary Things Pt. 25

Hey Game Fans, we’re taking a look at some world building ideas and concepts for the home setting i run.  If you’ve checked out my other world building articles, this is the setting that focuses on Lakeport and the larger world around it.  Today i’m going to  take a look at one of the oddest gods for the setting, Hartu, the Wyld Heart. Before i get started on her, let me give you a little background for the gods of this world.

Mystery Box Friday (Bulette Storm)

Hey Game Fans, It’s friday so it’s time for us to dig into our Mystery Box and revisit one of our favorite wesbites.  Today we’re going to take a look at Bulette Storm, from Loot The Room.  Written by the prolific Chris Bissette, Bulette Storm is a standalone adventure for 4th level characters.

It makes for an excellent one shot adventure or as a pressure valve for a longer running campaign.  If you are looking at the credits, yes we contributed to the pun bank that Chris used to title certain sections of the adventure.  This adventure was written by Chris as a special thank you to the gaming community that comprises his patrons on Patreon, and this adventure is a lot of fun packed into a tight space.  Oh, and it has Land Sharks. 

Mystery Box Friday (The Minotaur's Bargain)

Hey Game Fans, It’s friday so it’s time for us to dig into our Mystery Box and revisit one of our favorite publishers.  Today we’re going to take a look at Minotaur’s Bargain, from P.B. Publishing.  Written by the wonderfully talented Phil Beckwith and JVC Parry, Minotaur’s Bargain is a standalone adventure for 5th level characters It’s an easy to incorporate adventure in your campaign or a fun one shot if your players are looking for a change of pace.  Let’s dig into the details, and we’ll give you our review, and our ratings (hopefully we can tell you where to find it while we’re at it).  

Mystery Box Friday (Incantris)

Hey Game Fans we’re back with another Mystery Box Friday review.  Today we’ve got something a little different, we have a copy of Incantris from Rainn Studios.  The folks at Rainn Studios were nice enough to send us a copy of the game and we’re going to do an article on the game, an unboxing video , and we might try to do a playthrough of at least one of the games versions.  Today we’re going to talk about Setting up your game and getting ready to play.  Let’s dig in and see what sort of neat things we can find.  

Out of the Abyss Book Review

Out of the Abyss

Hey Game Fans, we’re back with a book review of one of the Hardcover adventures for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition.  As part of our coverage of the 3rd season of Adventurer’s League, we’re going to cover Out of the Abyss and go over some of the more interesting plot elements of this book.  Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.  

 

Plot Traps Volume 6

I’m changing some things up with the blog and looking at a variety of new and old ideas in gaming.  I’d like to spend part of today talking about some recurring tropes and ideas that crop up in fantasy storytelling and how they can be used (and abused) in an RPG to some sort of effect.  Today’s volume is going to feature The Birthright phenomenon.  There are a variety of ways this idea can be used to great effect in a fantasy rpg.  Let’s take a look at how that can work.

Backgrounds Part IV (Folk Hero and Guild Artisan)

Hey Game Fans, we’re back with the third part of our series on Backgrounds for Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition.  Today we’re going to take a hard look at the Folk Hero and the Guild Artisan Backgrounds and how they affect your character’s background and possible development as you level up.  First up, we have the Folk Hero, and then we’ll conclude with the Guild Artisan.  

The Wild Things of Lakeport

Hey Game Fans, we’re back for another part of a feature on the Homebrew setting of Lakeport.  Today we’re going to look at some of the more monstrous elements that traveled with the Orcs and Goblins.  For more info on the Orcs and Goblins, check out our article here.  Let’s dig a little deeper into the Wild things.  Great creatures of monstrous proportions travelled with Orcs and Goblins on the Great Migration.  Cyclopses, Minotaurs, Trolls, Ettins and even more exotic creatures made that journey.  Today we’re going to discuss some of those creatures and some of the more exotic creatures that came after.  

Deities, Divinities and Truly Scary Things Pt. 24

Hey Game Fans, we’re taking a look at some world building ideas and concepts for the home setting i run.  If you’ve checked out my other world building articles, this is the setting that focuses on Lakeport and the larger world around it.  Today i’m going to  take a look at one of the fiercest gods for the setting, Hanshu, the Lady of Goblins. Before i get started on him, let me give you a little background for the gods of this world.

Maneuvers for Edge of the Empire

Hey Game Fans, we’re going to be taking a closer look at Maneuvers for Edge of the Empire.  These are movements, little steps, and other actions that generally don’t require a skill check to accomplish.  There are a ton of these and we’re going to try and break them down.  Remember that there is generally a limit of a character accomplishing one maneuver on its turn. There are a few exceptions to this rule and we’ll cover those in just a second.  Remember, a character can perform a reasonable number of incidental actions, typically one maneuver and one action in any given turn.  Situationally this can change, and certain character options can let you take an additional maneuver.  Let’s take a deeper dive into Maneuvers and how they work for Edge. If you’re curious about the first part of this discussion, check out our writeup of structured gameplay here.  

Backgrounds Part III (Criminal and Entertainer)

Hey Game Fans, we’re back with the third part of our series on Backgrounds for Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition.  Today we’re going to take a hard look at the Criminal and the Entertainer Backgrounds and how they affect your character’s background and possible development as you level up.  First up, we have the Criminal, and then we’ll conclude with the Entertainer.  

Plot Traps Volume 5

’m changing some things up with the blog and looking at a variety of new and old ideas in gaming.  I’d like to spend part of today talking about some recurring tropes and ideas that crop up in fantasy storytelling and how they can be used (and abused) in an RPG to some sort of effect.  Today’s volume is going to feature The Destiny phenomenon.  There are a variety of ways this idea can be used to great effect in a fantasy rpg.  Let’s take a look at how that can work.

Goblins of Lakeport

Hey Game Fans, we’re back for another part of a feature on the Homebrew setting of Lakeport.  Today we’re going to look at the Goblins and the four variants, and we’re going to dig into the Hobgoblins as well.  These two groups have strong cultural ties with each other, and we’ll cover the statistical differences after we go over some of their cultural specifics. For a general history of these groups as well as goblins and some other groups, check out our article here.  Let’s dig a little deeper into the culture of the Goblins